Punk Rockers Punkfontein and Meel from Indie Rockers Meel Vignetting have teamed up for a sensational collaborative Pop Punk Anthem called ‘The Leviathan’ that will be released on 3 March.

​In late 2022 Punkfontein started with the concept and planned to ask Meel to collaborate after playing a show together. Surprisingly, without mentioning anything yet, Meel reached out to Punkfontein asking to collaborate. The stars quickly aligned, and within a week they started work. The process went smooth, with everyone knowing what they had to do. After several iterations, they scheduled a session at KVD Studios in Randfontein where Stevie Bester worked as the Recording Engineer. It was then sent to Byron Muller from Audio Nebula for mixing and Westenhaus for mastering.

​Gareth Meyer (Punkfontein Guitar & Vocals) shares that “I wrote the initial music for this song about 3 years ago, and I’ve been sitting on the idea, waiting for the right moment. This song came straight to mind when the opportunity to collaborate with Meel materialised.”

Hugene Koekemoer (Punkfontein Bass & Vocals) adds that “After completing the bass idea, I started working on the verses, humming melodies until I found something that might work, then filling the sounds with words. There is a moment where your mind runs through your words, and at that time it was relevant, as everyone has challenges that they need to deal with. It is essential to always keep in mind ‘this too shall pass’! It’s something that has kept me going and never failed me before. 

Meel comments that “Playing on the lyrical line ‘With our monsters we are always being hunted’, I thought of the Leviathan as a metaphorical monster, relating to how I sometimes feel like I’m drowning in my ‘challenges’, and how I’ve always wished that I could fly away from all of it, like Mary Poppins with her umbrella. My favourite line in the song is ‘Fight forever to right our wrongs’. That’s probably one of the most important things in life to me, to face consequences and right my wrongs!  From the moment I heard Hugene’s lyrics, I connected with that, and it inspired me to write my parts. The moment Gareth added that line, it was magic! This song is more than just a song, to me … it’s an anthem! And I hope it will connect with our listeners the same way it did us.”

Our collaborator, Asher Locketz, awards a score of 5 out of 6 to this release and writes the following

“Effervescent, emotive, and evocative ‘The Leviathan’ by South African Punkers Punkfontein is a polished piece of rousing Pop-Punk that is as catchy as an airborne contagion. Featuring the soaring vocals of Meel from South African Indie-Rockers Meel Vignetting, this bubbly, summer breeze of a song begins with a compact swath of mountainous pummelling drums sheathed in jangling guitar before finding its footing in the type of cherubic Pop-Punk reminiscent of Blink 182 and Sum 41.

Peppered with saccharine synths and built upon a bedrock of blissful melodies and metronomic rhythms, ‘The Leviathan’ is a vibrant kaleidoscopic sonic canvas of shimmering riffs, beatific bass, propulsive percussion, and crystalline, melodious vocals.

As this animated track dances ahead with its delicious verse and delectable chorus, one cannot help but be spirited away by its scintillating song craft. At about the two-minute mark, ecstatic screams emerge to drive the point home that in the face of adversity success is in our grasp, metaphorically perhaps, at least this humble writer thinks as much.

Featuring the combined talents of Hugene Koekemoer (Bass & Vocals), Gareth Meyer (Guitar & Vocals), Eben Du Preez (Lead Guitar) & Chris Kennedy, Punkfontein specialise in a heady brew of whimsical Pop Punk that is like candy for the brain and cacao for the soul.

The presence of Meel cannot be overstated as her silvery, sweet-sounding vocals thread their way through this track with aplomb, imbuing an already hedonistic track with a heightened sense of euphoria.
‘The Leviathan’, with its vigorous tapestry of infectious melodies and stellar song craft, is undoubtedly poised for mammoth airplay. I can only imagine that this splendid song will be clanging about everyone’s cranium and soon!
Available on 3 March, keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for ‘The Leviathan’ on all platforms https://hypeddit.com/theleviathan

Get ready for some Punkfontein in the membrane!”

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Photo: Kaalvoet Photographer

The bands also pay homage with their cover artwork to the legendary ‘Tragic Kingdom’ from No Doubt. Meel shares that “We initially wanted a visualisation of a Leviathan for our cover art but felt it might be a bit harsh. Being huge fans of Blink 182 and No Doubt, we were initially planning a tribute show during our recording process, then decided to pay homage with our cover art to the classic and timeless album ‘Tragic Kingdom’ from No Doubt. We all have such a positive and fond connection to this album from a time when music like this sculpted us!”